@ vm2904 I do not to dimish the intent and tenor of your fine post. However, one who has not spent considerable time in one or more African nations can easily miss what is the priorities, even when the indigenous peoples do not grasp them. Money, in terms of industrialized nations, does not readily translate in most African nations.
Interference with their sovereignty and the raping of their natural resources are the main culprits. Wheat, corn, and Asian rice are NOT well-suited for much of the land. Yet, these crops have usurped the native sorghum, millet, fonio, etc. which were sustainable for decades.
Now we have folks like Bono, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates pushing non-composting toilets and GMO seeds and petrol-based commercial fertilizers. Most Africans do not need a lot of trinkets the way that industrialized nation denizens do. Land is literally and figuratively dirt cheap. Industrious folks easily survive and thrive within the local economies. The biggest daily monetary expense is transportation to a work site that cannot readily be reached by bicycle or it is impractical to do so.
Because of the culture and lifestyle of peoples who live in rural areas, they seldom have access to electricity. So, this sort of project can only assist city dwellers.
One final thing, the diamond industry in Africa has been responsible for numerous wars and millions of deaths. Please do NOT buy African blood diamonds. Thank you.